Aftermath
by MyGirlCrais
Summary: Three days after he'd shot Ianto's girlfriend, Jack went to visit him. To have a calm and reasonable discussion. (Early Janto)


**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Torchwood_.

**Timing:** Post 'Cyber-woman'.

**Aftermath**

Three days after he'd shot Ianto's girlfriend, Jack went to visit him. To have a calm and reasonable discussion.

'How could you?!' a slightly drunk Ianto demanded, shoving him against the door. 'You stood there and told me to kill her!'

Jack ducked as Ianto took a swing at him. 'Ianto...'

'Fucking kill her!' Ianto screamed. 'The woman I loved. The woman I'd done everything to protect. What kind of monster asks that?! Don't you have any idea what it's like to love someone?'

'Ianto...'

'You're a sick, twisted, evil monster and I fucking hate you, Jack Harkness.'

'Ianto...'

'Shut up!' Jack had to duck again.

'I'm going to bloody kill you!' Ianto yelled.

And then Ianto did something Jack would never have expected in a million years. He grabbed Jack's hair on both sides of his head and crushed his lips against Jack's.

Half an hour later, Jack was forced to admit to himself that he had had absolutely no idea who he'd hired.

'I think, technically, that could be classed as rape,' he said.

Ianto cringed. 'Yes, sir.'

'But then I am stronger than you.'

'Yes, sir.'

'And I have a gun.'

'Yes, sir.'

'So I could have fought you off if I wanted to.'

'Yes, sir.'

'You could probably drop the "sir", Ianto.'

A pause. 'No, sir.'

Jack sighed. 'Why don't you get dressed.'

'Yes, sir.'

Jack rounded up his own clothes, fishing his underwear out of the (fortunately dry and clean) sink and started to get dressed again.

'You know, Ianto, I actually came here to apologise.'

Ianto stopped halfway through putting his trousers back on. 'Sir?'

'Yeah.' Jack buckled up his belt. 'For asking you to shoot her. I went too far with that and I'm sorry.'

Ianto pulled his trousers up. 'Oh.'

'In answer to your question: yes, I have loved. I know what it's like.'

'Oh.'

'But she had to die.'

Jack watched Ianto close his eyes. 'I know.'

They finished getting dressed in silence.

'Sir,' Ianto said, as Jack was shrugging his coat back on, 'I did... I didn't think she was dangerous. I honestly didn't. Even though she looked different...she was still Lisa inside. At least, I thought she was. It wasn't until she came off life support that she seemed to change. I think she must have been hiding it from me. Or maybe I was just blind. But I really thought... if I could just find her the right help, she'd be cured. She'd be Lisa again. I didn't mean to put anyone else at risk.'

Jack let out a slow breath. 'I believe you, Ianto. I did at the time. If I hadn't, you'd be dead right now.'

'Yes, sir.'

Jack prowled over to the window and stood looking out. 'First Susie, then you. There are too many secrets in that Hub.'

Ianto moved over to join him. 'With respect, sir, most of them are yours.'

Jack looked sharply at him. Ianto held his gaze. Jack sighed. 'Point taken.'

'When we met,' Ianto said slowly. 'You said something about the 51st century.'

'Yeah.'

'That's where you're from? _When_ you're from?'

'Yeah.'

'How did you end up here?'

'Time travel.'

Ianto rolled his eyes. 'Yes, I got that part.'

Jack smiled slightly. 'Long story. But this thing on my wrist is a time travel device. It doesn't work now, unfortunately. Not for that, anyway. I travelled around for a long time. Then I sort of got stuck here.'

'Can it be fixed?'

'Yeah. Just...only by one man. And I can't contact him.'

'Ah.'

Ianto walked back towards his kitchen. 'What happens now?'

Jack turned around. 'What?'

'Am I coming back to work?'

'Monday. Usual time.'

'Okay.'

Jack walked back towards the door.

'Sir?'

He paused. 'What?'

'There is one thing I need to know. About... what we just did.'

Jack smiled to himself. He must have shown Ianto a few things he hadn't expected. 'Oh yeah?'

'Should I be getting tested for any STIs?'

Jack's face fell. Not his bedroom performance then. He was quite glad Ianto couldn't see his face.

'No, Ianto. Owen just screened us all three months ago, remember?'

'And since then?'

Jack was quite tempted to tell Ianto that he was the only one he'd slept with in that time. Partly because it was true and partly to see the look on Ianto's face when he said it. But some things he wasn't about to share.

'I've been careful.'

'All right.'

'I see you on Monday, Ianto Jones.'

'Yes, sir.'


End file.
